The national stage is brightly lit with heated conversation about the latest and greatest in petroleum recovery technologies: hydrofracturing. This buzzword is being discussed from California to New York. More
Blog Archive for August 2012
August 30, 2012
In the natural world, streams are free to flow where they will, driven by gravity and obedient to natural laws. In urban environments, however, streams often either “get in the way,” More
August 30, 2012
The Earth is a water planet. Seen from space, the earth appears as a blue oasis covered by swirling white clouds. Life on Earth is dependent upon a safe water supply, and protecting this most vital resource is key to humanity’s ability to sustain itself. More
August 29, 2012
The search for minerals, fuels and precious metals has been going on for millennia. Prehistoric mines have been discovered, for example, where hematite was mined for red pigmentation. More
August 29, 2012
According to the National Inventory of Dams (NID), there are some 79,000 dams in its registry, which covers the United States and its territories. More
August 29, 2012
Two-dimensional maps and drawings have been the staple of environmental and engineering work for decades, whether the hard copy paper variety or mapping in a digital environment. More
August 29, 2012
Groundwater is the source of drinking water for more than fifty percent of North Carolina’s population and it provides water for nearly one hundred percent of homes in rural areas of the state. More
August 28, 2012
Residential environmental problems are nothing new – we’ve been aware of many of them for at least two decades. But they may be new to you, as a homeowner or prospective buyer, and they can be frightening. More
August 28, 2012
Soil is the ultimate product of the breakdown of rock through chemical and physical processes. In the Piedmont region, many areas contain a fairly thick layer of soil residuum that overlies bedrock. This critical resource provides a medium in which to grow food, break down wastes, and filter precipitation for water supplies. More
August 28, 2012
Brownfields are properties whose ability to be redeveloped is hampered by the real or perceived threat of environmental contamination. While the distinction between “real” and “perceived” may seem too subtle to mention, there is a reason: Until the actual condition of a property is known, the property remains a mystery in terms of cleanup costs and liability. More
August 28, 2012
Water quality refers to the quality of the surface waters of our planet – things like creeks, small and large streams, springs, glacial melt water, fiords, bays, estuaries, seas and oceans. In North Carolina, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Water Quality Division regulate interior and coastal waters. More
August 28, 2012
Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) have been used extensively for decades to store fuel products and other liquids. The logic behind storing these products, which are often flammable, corrosive or explosive, beneath the ground is simple: It is considered safer and requires less space than surface storage – space that is often used, at gasoline stations, for example, for moving, fueling, and parking motor vehicles. More
August 27, 2012
Hazardous waste facilities are those whose operations generate waste products that are harmful to human health and the environmental. These wastes are toxic, ignitable, corrosive, or reactive. More
August 27, 2012
In the environmental services industry, the term “Phase I” has come to mean a research-based report that identifies potential environmental concerns on and around those properties that are the subjects of the assessment. It is generally regarded as the first step in the process of performing due diligence. More